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Wednesday, September 10, 2025
Netflix Releases Its AI Rules for Filmmakers
No Film School: One of the best things about Netflix is that they're super open with all their policies. And when it comes to using AI in your projects, you want to make sure you have things totally clear.
11 comments:
Max A
said...
I’ve always thought of Netflix as a for-profit only company, so seeing this perspective where they’re consumer and ethics focused is intriguing. I think this sentence sums it up well: “Netflix is very carefully balancing the financial advantages of AI against the risk of controversy.” I went back and read Netflix’s original AI statement, and I found it weird that Netflix labelled AI as “creatively unique,” when the way AI generates artistic output is by consuming and replicating an amalgamation of other artists’ work. I think it’s kind of weird that Netflix’s policy on AI creation of characters states that it cannot be used to create “main characters” or other central fixtures. Are we slowly limiting the amount of human creation necessary to create a story? We’re just getting rid of human jobs that used to create background elements, and character, and settings. I think that it starts with this careful limitation, but eventually we’re gonna have purely AI-created stories, and to me and countless others those feel wrong and empty. I don’t think Netflix is “carefully balancing” anything–I think they’re pushing the limit with the public of how much AI they can include.
I would really truly hope that no filmmakers would have the desire to want to use AI in their movies but I know that that is a bit of false hope to have in our current climate. I am very happy though that Netflix has come forward to make some hard and fast policies over how they want, or rather do not want, AI within their programs. This feels like a big step since Netflix has become one of the large producing companies for film and television as of late, and them making these firm decisions about how they want AI to interact with their media and how they want it identified throughout the process and not to infringe on anyone's rights, both union and copyright wise. I hope that other large corporations will take a page out of Netflix’s book, even though it's not perfect, it's a concrete step in transparency and ethical use of AI in art (if you believe there can be any).
When I first started thinking about AI and how it would integrate into our society, I had concerns about both its uses and how it would be regulated. Netflix’s approach to the issue is encouraging—they’re addressing key aspects that I hope become industry standards in film. It also makes me wonder how AI might affect theatre. Could we see AI-generated textures or other design elements onstage? And more importantly, is that something audiences even want? I’m especially grateful that Netflix maintains a strict “no generative AI content” rule. To me, this is vital in any artistic industry. Allowing AI to generate creative content for consumption feels wrong, mainly because of the speed at which AI can produce compared to humans—it immediately places artists at a disadvantage. AI has the potential to harm, if not destroy, the entertainment industry and the broader arts. That’s why it has to be regulated to ensure that individuals that need to produce content have the space and platform to do so.
This article really caught my attention as I was scrolling through the blog. AI is probably the newest and most prevalent version of technology that is new to the world of media, and production at large. Additionally like the article said Netflix is also one of if not the biggest media organization on the market. Course this statement is arguable, but still Netflix is a big part of the media industry and has standard setting status due to its size. So it is very reassuring to see Netflix set standards about AI and especially generative AI which has the ability to overwhelm the media and entertainment industry with AI generated pieces that could overshadow works of art that have been created by individuals in the industry. Personally I support the use of AI in the entertainment industry, as long as there are restrictions on the use of said AI. Using AI to produce ideas that a team can build on is great, but using an AI to create images that can be used in a film is effectively removing the ability for an artist to create said piece.
While I personally don’t love the use of AI in artistic fields, I do understand how filmmakers have found it useful. Since AI is fairly new, I think that a lot of professionals jumped at the opportunity to utilize a technology so advanced to make their lives easier (who wouldn’t). As the article pointed out about Netflix, people may have taken it too far and used it to completely replace artistic choices. I like how Netflix makes this clear with their filmmakers as it is such a large corporation and it is very likely that others will begin to make clear and firm policies when it comes to AI usage in media. Once again, AI isn’t my favorite but I don’t think using it should be completely condemned. They mentioned the use of AI in Squid Game which is really fascinating considering how large of a production it was and how influential it was on television.
I am admittedly very biased when it comes to the subject of AI as an artist, and I am someone who, unfortunately, knows more about AI than I would like to. I absolutely hate AI; it makes me ill to even think of using it personally, and I get frustrated and upset seeing it used in general. I am glad to see Netflix putting some policies on AI at the very least, though I do really wish it were more of a rule of no AI UNLESS it were being used in a similar way it is used in Spider-Verse, strictly as a tool for the animators. The animators of Into the Spider-Verse and Across the Spider-Verse utilized and trained an AI to place/animate the lines used to accentuate certain features of the character models and create the comic book sort of style the movie had. I find this use of AI acceptable, as it is being used strictly as a tool to help already overworked animators accomplish their art more efficiently. Otherwise, I don’t think AI should be used at all, and I worry that people will find loopholes in Netflix’s policies or that they won’t be enforced.
After reading these rules, I was happily surprised by the level of stringency detailed for these rules (even though it likely does not limit AI use enough) and would have thought that more would be required to verify that the use of generative AI was being used responsibly even if a lot of steps are still involved in Netflix’s rules. My main thought in return is regarding the verification and repercussion for those who go beyond these rules in that it appears it would be difficult still to verify where generative AI has been used and how the rules will change in the coming months to years as filmmakers try to push the boundaries to try and save themselves the time and money from using AI instead of making the effects themselves. Overall, while it is good that Netflix is making headroom here (even if just for their own sake of avoiding lawsuits for copyright) more will be needed to see if these policies are stringent enough moving forward.
This is honestly very unexpected of netflix, props to them for valuing real ideas, art, and people. I've lost a lot of hope in terms of ai because big corporations such as broadway and disney have used ai for backdrops, set pieces, and commercials. I think it's really important that Netflix established the rule that generative ai cannot be used to replace or replicate new talent performances or union covered work without consent, and the rule that ai should only be temporary and not the final deliverable of content. These are really important because they stress that ai will not be used to replace people and performances. I dont think it's a problem for ai to be used to fill budget hole problems. Such as ai generating large crowds, or using ai to help with cgi issues. These are okay. The main problems I find is when ai is used to alter an actors voice or features when they could've just casted a different actor who already had those traits.
I am actually such a fan of these rules. I think they excellently strike the balance between, you can not use them for the final product that viewers see, and you can not use them at all. Netflix is not stupid; if they were, they would not have been able to grow into the entertainment giant that they are, starting from literally shipping DVDs. Netflix knows that if they just made a blanket statement like you can not use AI in any capacity, first off they would probably regret that because it would bite them in the butt, but also because their film makers would likely not follow it and then lead to them having to fight their film makers, and they might choose not to do that which would set a bad precedent to their other film makers that they won’t fight back. Therefore, having these guidelines, I think, will be very useful.
I think it’s great that Netflix has made of this list of rules against AI. I think it’s very debatable whether or not the rules are actually strict enough; it depends on you personal point of view on AI. They obviously don’t want to restrict their profits by being too strict with AI, but they don’t want to get in legal trouble with AI either, and just like smaller artists online, they also don’t want AI training on their real content. It’s difficult to find a balancing point, and no matter what they won’t be able to make everyone happy. The fact of the matter is, it’s really up to the creators to use AI responsibly, and though I think that these rules guide creators towards that, there’s a lot that a creator could still do to cause problems for Netflix. I’m curious to see whether or not other companies adopt policies like this, and how Netflix will change these rules with time.
It was very refreshing to read this article about Netflix's AI rules. I think that this territory can definitely be a very murky area, especially for a lot of younger filmmakers who don't have the resources that they think are necessary to create the work that they see in their head. Personally, I think that these people struggle with a bit of the creative inclination necessary to make it work with what you have, which I do think is a vital tool, but aside from that point, I'm glad that it does specify a disinterest in solely AI generated content, and that it prohibits AI generated content from any final deliverables. I think that especially the deliverables rule is especially important in order to preserve a level of quality and content across all types of media. Additionally, I think that it's nice that Netflix is starting to create these rules, and hopefully that this will encourage the entire film industry as a whole to adapt similar practices that limit the use of AI back to something where it's more of a tool, than a crutch used to create a weaker final product.
11 comments:
I’ve always thought of Netflix as a for-profit only company, so seeing this perspective where they’re consumer and ethics focused is intriguing. I think this sentence sums it up well: “Netflix is very carefully balancing the financial advantages of AI against the risk of controversy.” I went back and read Netflix’s original AI statement, and I found it weird that Netflix labelled AI as “creatively unique,” when the way AI generates artistic output is by consuming and replicating an amalgamation of other artists’ work. I think it’s kind of weird that Netflix’s policy on AI creation of characters states that it cannot be used to create “main characters” or other central fixtures. Are we slowly limiting the amount of human creation necessary to create a story? We’re just getting rid of human jobs that used to create background elements, and character, and settings. I think that it starts with this careful limitation, but eventually we’re gonna have purely AI-created stories, and to me and countless others those feel wrong and empty. I don’t think Netflix is “carefully balancing” anything–I think they’re pushing the limit with the public of how much AI they can include.
I would really truly hope that no filmmakers would have the desire to want to use AI in their movies but I know that that is a bit of false hope to have in our current climate. I am very happy though that Netflix has come forward to make some hard and fast policies over how they want, or rather do not want, AI within their programs. This feels like a big step since Netflix has become one of the large producing companies for film and television as of late, and them making these firm decisions about how they want AI to interact with their media and how they want it identified throughout the process and not to infringe on anyone's rights, both union and copyright wise. I hope that other large corporations will take a page out of Netflix’s book, even though it's not perfect, it's a concrete step in transparency and ethical use of AI in art (if you believe there can be any).
When I first started thinking about AI and how it would integrate into our society, I had concerns about both its uses and how it would be regulated. Netflix’s approach to the issue is encouraging—they’re addressing key aspects that I hope become industry standards in film. It also makes me wonder how AI might affect theatre. Could we see AI-generated textures or other design elements onstage? And more importantly, is that something audiences even want? I’m especially grateful that Netflix maintains a strict “no generative AI content” rule. To me, this is vital in any artistic industry. Allowing AI to generate creative content for consumption feels wrong, mainly because of the speed at which AI can produce compared to humans—it immediately places artists at a disadvantage. AI has the potential to harm, if not destroy, the entertainment industry and the broader arts. That’s why it has to be regulated to ensure that individuals that need to produce content have the space and platform to do so.
This article really caught my attention as I was scrolling through the blog. AI is probably the newest and most prevalent version of technology that is new to the world of media, and production at large. Additionally like the article said Netflix is also one of if not the biggest media organization on the market. Course this statement is arguable, but still Netflix is a big part of the media industry and has standard setting status due to its size. So it is very reassuring to see Netflix set standards about AI and especially generative AI which has the ability to overwhelm the media and entertainment industry with AI generated pieces that could overshadow works of art that have been created by individuals in the industry. Personally I support the use of AI in the entertainment industry, as long as there are restrictions on the use of said AI. Using AI to produce ideas that a team can build on is great, but using an AI to create images that can be used in a film is effectively removing the ability for an artist to create said piece.
While I personally don’t love the use of AI in artistic fields, I do understand how filmmakers have found it useful. Since AI is fairly new, I think that a lot of professionals jumped at the opportunity to utilize a technology so advanced to make their lives easier (who wouldn’t). As the article pointed out about Netflix, people may have taken it too far and used it to completely replace artistic choices. I like how Netflix makes this clear with their filmmakers as it is such a large corporation and it is very likely that others will begin to make clear and firm policies when it comes to AI usage in media. Once again, AI isn’t my favorite but I don’t think using it should be completely condemned. They mentioned the use of AI in Squid Game which is really fascinating considering how large of a production it was and how influential it was on television.
I am admittedly very biased when it comes to the subject of AI as an artist, and I am someone who, unfortunately, knows more about AI than I would like to. I absolutely hate AI; it makes me ill to even think of using it personally, and I get frustrated and upset seeing it used in general. I am glad to see Netflix putting some policies on AI at the very least, though I do really wish it were more of a rule of no AI UNLESS it were being used in a similar way it is used in Spider-Verse, strictly as a tool for the animators. The animators of Into the Spider-Verse and Across the Spider-Verse utilized and trained an AI to place/animate the lines used to accentuate certain features of the character models and create the comic book sort of style the movie had. I find this use of AI acceptable, as it is being used strictly as a tool to help already overworked animators accomplish their art more efficiently. Otherwise, I don’t think AI should be used at all, and I worry that people will find loopholes in Netflix’s policies or that they won’t be enforced.
After reading these rules, I was happily surprised by the level of stringency detailed for these rules (even though it likely does not limit AI use enough) and would have thought that more would be required to verify that the use of generative AI was being used responsibly even if a lot of steps are still involved in Netflix’s rules. My main thought in return is regarding the verification and repercussion for those who go beyond these rules in that it appears it would be difficult still to verify where generative AI has been used and how the rules will change in the coming months to years as filmmakers try to push the boundaries to try and save themselves the time and money from using AI instead of making the effects themselves. Overall, while it is good that Netflix is making headroom here (even if just for their own sake of avoiding lawsuits for copyright) more will be needed to see if these policies are stringent enough moving forward.
This is honestly very unexpected of netflix, props to them for valuing real ideas, art, and people. I've lost a lot of hope in terms of ai because big corporations such as broadway and disney have used ai for backdrops, set pieces, and commercials. I think it's really important that Netflix established the rule that generative ai cannot be used to replace or replicate new talent performances or union covered work without consent, and the rule that ai should only be temporary and not the final deliverable of content. These are really important because they stress that ai will not be used to replace people and performances. I dont think it's a problem for ai to be used to fill budget hole problems. Such as ai generating large crowds, or using ai to help with cgi issues. These are okay. The main problems I find is when ai is used to alter an actors voice or features when they could've just casted a different actor who already had those traits.
I am actually such a fan of these rules. I think they excellently strike the balance between, you can not use them for the final product that viewers see, and you can not use them at all. Netflix is not stupid; if they were, they would not have been able to grow into the entertainment giant that they are, starting from literally shipping DVDs. Netflix knows that if they just made a blanket statement like you can not use AI in any capacity, first off they would probably regret that because it would bite them in the butt, but also because their film makers would likely not follow it and then lead to them having to fight their film makers, and they might choose not to do that which would set a bad precedent to their other film makers that they won’t fight back. Therefore, having these guidelines, I think, will be very useful.
I think it’s great that Netflix has made of this list of rules against AI. I think it’s very debatable whether or not the rules are actually strict enough; it depends on you personal point of view on AI. They obviously don’t want to restrict their profits by being too strict with AI, but they don’t want to get in legal trouble with AI either, and just like smaller artists online, they also don’t want AI training on their real content. It’s difficult to find a balancing point, and no matter what they won’t be able to make everyone happy. The fact of the matter is, it’s really up to the creators to use AI responsibly, and though I think that these rules guide creators towards that, there’s a lot that a creator could still do to cause problems for Netflix. I’m curious to see whether or not other companies adopt policies like this, and how Netflix will change these rules with time.
It was very refreshing to read this article about Netflix's AI rules. I think that this territory can definitely be a very murky area, especially for a lot of younger filmmakers who don't have the resources that they think are necessary to create the work that they see in their head. Personally, I think that these people struggle with a bit of the creative inclination necessary to make it work with what you have, which I do think is a vital tool, but aside from that point, I'm glad that it does specify a disinterest in solely AI generated content, and that it prohibits AI generated content from any final deliverables. I think that especially the deliverables rule is especially important in order to preserve a level of quality and content across all types of media. Additionally, I think that it's nice that Netflix is starting to create these rules, and hopefully that this will encourage the entire film industry as a whole to adapt similar practices that limit the use of AI back to something where it's more of a tool, than a crutch used to create a weaker final product.
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